Elections in the Russian Federation: The law, the practice and the intellectual work

Please find herewith the speech of the new Chairperson of the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation.

Ella Pamfilova, Chairperson of the Central Election Commission

Dear Friends!

I am glad to welcome you on the official website of the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation, where you can rapidly familiarize yourself with the most complete and acute information on the activities of the Commission on the legal regulation and law enforcement practice of the preparation and holding of elections and referendums in the Russian Federation.

The system of the election commissions of the Russian Federation in accordance with the Russian legislation ensures the holding of federal, regional and local elections and referendums in 85 legal entities of the Russian Federation within the territory of over 17 million sq. km. The total number of voters and referendum participants of the Russian Federation is more than 111 million people.

According to the State Automated System of the Russian Federation “Vybory” (GAS “Vybory”), presently, the total number of precinct election commissions formed for a period of 5 years amounts to 94,429; there were appointed 841,575 commission members with the casting vote; the reserve of precinct election commissions’ composition amounts to 573,711 people.

A new composition of the CEC of Russia, consisting of 15 members, started to work on March 28, 2016. Five of them were appointed by the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation: V.V. Galchenko, Y.I. Kolyushin, V.A. Kryukov, N.V. Levichev, S.N. Sirotkin. The other five were appointed by the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation: N.I. Bulayev, M.V. Grishina, A.N. Klyukin, A.I. Lopatin, S.M. Shapiyev and the next five – by the President of the Russian Federation: A.Yu. Kinev, V.N. Likhachev, E.A. Pamfilova, E.A. Shevchenko, B.S. Ebzeev.

The Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation operates on a regular basis, its office term is five years. The first meeting of the new composition of the CEC of Russia was held on March 28, 2016 and there the Chairman of the CEC of Russia, Deputy Chairman of the CEC of Russia – N.I. Bulayev, Secretary of the CEC of Russia– M.V. Grishina were elected by secret ballot procedure.

Six of the fifteen members of the CEC of Russia worked in previous compositions of the Commission, but those members of the CEC of Russia who were appointed for the first time also have wealth of life and professional experience and participated in election campaigns many times.

The current composition of the Central Election Commission expresses a wide range of political views and represents both parliamentary and non-parliamentary political parties.

The current composition of the CEC of Russia is the seventh for more than 20-year period of development of the modern electoral system. The previous compositions’ members of the CEC of Russia have made a significant contribution to the development of the electoral process and the strengthening of the institution of elections in our country in accordance with applicable legislation on elections in the period of their activity.

There are large-scale and important challenges for the new composition of the CEC of Russia the main of which are to prepare and conduct election of deputies of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation of the seventh convocation in September 2016 and election of the President of the Russian Federation in 2018. I am sure that the new composition will cope with their responsibilities properly.

Elections of deputies of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation of the seventh convocation will be held simultaneously with elections in legal entities of the Russian Federation in a single voting day on September 18, 2016.

Serious changes have been made in the electoral legislation of our country during the years since the last federal elections in 2011 and 2012, many provisions of which will be implemented for the first time during the preparation and conduct of the forthcoming elections.

Elections of deputies of the State Duma will be held in accordance with the Federal Law dated 22.02.2014 No. 20-FZ “On the election of deputies of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation”. The State Duma deputies will be elected by a mixed (majority and proportional) electoral system for the first time since 2003, under which 225 deputies will be elected in the federal electoral district, next 225 deputies will be elected in single-seat districts. New scheme of single-seat districts for the election of deputies of the State Duma was adopted by the Federal Law dated November 3, 2015 No. 300-FZ.

Political parties registered by the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation in accordance with the significant changes of the Law on Political Parties, amended after the elections to the State Duma in 2011, will participate in elections. A total number of 77 political parties have been registered to date, 75 of which have the right to participate in elections.

It will be able for the first time for political parties which candidates are the deputies of the legislative (representative) body of state authority of at least one subject of the Russian Federation, as well as the parties which took part in the recent deputy elections to the State Duma and received not less than 3 per cent of voters who took part in the voting in the federal electoral district, to register the federal lists of candidates, candidates in single-seat districts without collecting voters’ signatures.

Currently 14 political parties have the right to participate in elections without the collecting of voters’ signatures. Another 61 political parties may register their candidates to participate in elections if they have collected at least 200 thousand signatures of voters to provide evidence in support of the nomination. Let me remind you that in 2011 only four political parties participated in elections of the State Duma without the collecting of voters’ signatures and total seven political parties took part in the elections.

It is the first time when elections of deputies of the State Duma will be held by precinct election commissions formed in 2013 at the suggestion of 48 out of 62 registered political parties for a term of 5 years. Members of these commissions are regularly trained and already have experience in the preparation and holding of elections.

Starting from January 1, 2016 amendments made to the electoral legislation came into force in connection with Russia’s ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The amendments stipulate that while equipping voting premises there should be provided conditions for unimpeded access to such premises for voters, referendum participants with disabilities and for their voting.

After the elections to the State Duma conducted on December 4, 2011 by the there were adopted a significant number of legal acts on elections by federal authorities. These acts shall be implemented during the preparation and holding of the forthcoming elections. The current federal legislation on elections and referendums can be checked out in the special section of the CEC of Russia’s website “The legislation on elections and referendums”.

For the convenience of users, who are interested in the forthcoming federal elections, the special section of the CEC of Russia’s website “Preparation for the elections to the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation of 2016” was created where the most acute data on the elections is placed, including acts of the CEC of Russia.

On a single voting day on September 18, 2016 during elections in legal entities of the Russian Federation it is planned to elect:

highest officials of legal entities of the Russian Federation (heads of supreme executive bodies of state power of legal entities of the Russian Federation) in 6 regions;

deputies of legislative (representative) bodies of state power of legal entities of the Russian Federation in 38 regions;

deputies of representative bodies of municipalities of administrative centers (capitals) of legal entities of the Russian Federation in 11 regions.

Many other municipal elections will also be conducted on this day.

It is planned to displace a significant number of mandates of different levels during September elections, ensuring the renewal of appropriate authorities of all levels as well as the implementation of electoral rights of Russian citizens and their right to participate in state affairs management both directly and through their representatives.

Information about the preparation and conduct of the forthcoming elections is placed in the special section of the CEC of Russia’s website “Elections in legal entities of the Russian Federation on a single voting day on September 18, 2016” and will be regularly updated.

More information about the preparation to the federal parliamentary elections, regional and local elections in particular legal entity of the Russian Federation you can also get on official websites of election commissions of the Russian Federation’s legal entities, access to which is possible from the official CEC of Russia’s website.

Technical and technological support for the preparation and conduct of elections is carried out by a nationwide information system – the State Automated System of the Russian Federation “Vybory” (GAS “Vybory”) that provides prompt and open information sharing on election campaigns, referendums, voting and election results, combined with the solution of many complex organizational and technological challenges for the collection, processing and storage of information.

In preparation for the federal and regional elections that will be held on September 18, 2016 in accordance with the Working Plan of the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation for the year 2016, which is available in the “Documents of the CEC of Russia” and “Relevant Topics” sections, the All-Russian meeting is provided with the chairmen of election commissions of legal entities of the Russian Federation as well as a number of other meetings, including with representatives of federal executive bodies, political parties, diplomatic missions and consular institutions of the Russian Federation abroad. Programs and transcripts of the mentioned events are placed on our website.

The Russian Center for Training in Election Technologies under the CEC of Russia provides the organization and coordination of activity in the field of the promotion of legal culture of voters (referendum participants), the training of elections and referendums organizers and other participants in the electoral process in the Russian Federation, including with the use of modern information and communication technologies. The concept of the teaching of the staff of election commissions and other participants of election (referendum) process in the Russian Federation in 2016-2018 can be found in the “Documents of the CEC of Russia” section on the website of the Russian Center for Training in Election Technologies under the CEC of Russia.

We admit the implementation of control over the observance of electoral rights and the right of citizens of the Russian Federation to participate in referendum, which consists primarily in the organization of elections exactly in compliance with the Russian legislation as a priority of the new composition of the CEC of Russia. Greater cooperation of election commissions with the Institute of Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation may significantly assist this work.

An important condition for an efficient preparation and conduct of elections is a close interaction between election commissions and executive authorities and local self-government, including in the area of provision of voting premises, the suppression of violation of law during the preparation and holding of elections, checking of the information about candidates’ citizenship, income, property and criminal records, verification of subscription sheets, conduct of the voting in hard-to-reach or remote areas, ensuring of electoral rights of service personnel, representatives of other security agencies, decision of other issues connected with elections. It is necessary to provide a real opportunity to vote for all voters. Information about the cooperation with the executive authorities is placed on the CEC of Russia’s website, including in the “Agreements of the CEC of Russia with ministries and authorities of the Russian Federation” subsection of “Documents of the CEC of Russia” section.

The CEC of Russia takes part in international cooperation in the field of electoral systems in which the provisions of international treaties of the Russian Federation are implemented, also it takes part in the preparation of international instruments’ projects and international monitoring in the field of the organization and conduct of elections and referendums, as well as in the exchange of professional experience on the preparation and conduct of elections.

International agreements on the exchange of experience were concluded by the CEC of Russia with more than 20 countries and international organizations. The framework of international conferences and seminars with reports and messages is actively used to inform on the Russian experience, innovations in the organizing and holding of elections and referendums in the Russian Federation. You can find more information on this area of activity in the “International Cooperation of the CEC of Russia” section.

Dear website users!

The CEC of Russia’s website is a continuously updated operating resource where every user can find the needed information to exercise his constitutional right – to participate in elections and referendums, as well as a lot of interesting and useful information on the multifaceted activities of the CEC of Russia and election commissions of legal entities of the Russian Federation, on political parties and their participation in the electoral process, on activities of control and audit services, on the practice of the concluding of agreements on cooperation with ministries and authorities and their territorial bodies, on international cooperation in the field of electoral systems, and many other things on elections.

An important condition for the providing of legitimacy of elections and the implementation of electoral rights of citizens is an active interaction of all participants of the electoral process. The special section “Reception of the CEC of Russia” was created on our website where it is possible to send an application to the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation in an electronic form, and the specified address is indicated where you can send a proper application in a written form.

The same section contains a preliminary schedule of reception of citizens by the members of the CEC of Russia, which will be rescheduled in the nearest future as well as the procedure of the appointment making.

Welcome!

ACADEMY OF POLITICAL SIENCE

POLITICAL SCIENCE AND POLITICAL CHAIR

DIRCTION

PRSIDENTIAL INSTITUTE OF SOCIAL SCIENCES OF THE STATE AND LAW

ELECTIONS IN THE NEW POLITICAL DIMENTIONS

INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE

Social-Economic Research Institute

June 8 9 2016, Moscow

Conference June 8 – 9 2016

Bernard Owen, PhD in Political Science of Pantheon Sorbonne Paris 1 University and Director of the Center for Comparative Studies of Elections., was the first speaker on the On subject of Election Matters in Europe: Modern Evaluation.